Rezoning sought for cafe's location

Friday, February 1, 2008Clint Confehr - Senior Staff Writer

Kim Wing

A Belfast businesswoman plans to move her cafe, catering service, gift and accessories shop to Lewisburg and on Tuesday city planning commissioners voted to recommend land rezoning she needs to reopen here in the spring.

Kimberly Wing, proprietor of Sisters Three on Fishing Ford Road plans to move her business to 508 Sweetwater Lane just off Fifth Avenue. Pepper Biggers, proprietor of Biggers Market on Fifth Avenue, owns the house that Wing wants to rent, so he's asked city officials to rezone his property from the residential classification that it has to the commercial zoning that it needs for Wing's plans.

With a unanimous vote, the planning commission made the recommendation to the City Council that, under normal scheduling, would consider the request when it meets at 6 p.m. on Feb. 12.

"Now, I'm too far off the beaten path," Wing said after the commission meeting. "People have to devote an hour to come eat with me."

Wing said she wants a location so her customers "can come on the way to the dry cleaners," while on other errands, or during a regular lunch break.

However, there's another reason for the move.

"Down there can seat 16, but here, I'll have a banquet room and three outside dining areas, a reception area for weddings with a seating capacity of 75. We'll have WiFi Internet with gourmet coffees," Wing said.

Wing started the business there in March 2003, selling gifts and accessories. In 2006, she added a cafe.

She's been serving "hearty soups," and daily entrees, soups, and a fruity chicken salad, she said.

Born in Marshall Medical Center when it was Taylor's Hospital, the former Miss Kim Kennedy is a daughter of Buddy Kennedy and granddaughter of Harold Kennedy who trained the famed Triple Threat Tennessee Walking Horse.

She grew up on a horse farm, but has worked in various other arenas, including the state's division of internal audit where Gov. Ned McWherter developed legislation for sales taxes on out-of-state purchases. Wing has served on the Marshall County Commission and has worked for Cosmolab.

Now, she's pleased to be called chief cook and bottle washer of her own business.